Folding centekboabd



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. M. HOFFMAN, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

FOLDING CENTERBOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent N o. 6,2599, dated .April 10, 1849.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Jol-IN M. HoFFMANg of Buffalo, in the county of Erieand State1 of New York, have invented certain new and` usefulimprovements in centerboards to be` attached to vessels for the purposeof imqr proving their sailing qualities and rendering them moreseaworthy, of which the fol-l lowing is a full and exact description,ref-l erence being had to the annexed drawingsi of the same, making partof this specifica-` tion, in which- Figure 1 isa perspective view of thehull` of a vessel, seen from beneath, with one modification of myimproved folding frame O, and turning removable center board B,

applied thereto, in an expanded position, Fig. 1 is an auxiliary figureshowing a perspective view of a portion of the bottom, representingthesame center board folded; up, Fig. 1 is a second auxiliary ligure, beingasection taken through the line-2 2 of Fig. l 1 and 1 showing themanner in which the chains and cords which suspend and governi theposition of the center board, are arranged, Fig. 13 is a perspectiveview of the ball and socket hinge s detached from the; board B. Fig. 2is a modified form and arrangement of the folding frame C, and turningboard B, which differ from Fig. 1, in not being removable from thebottom of` the vessel, and in being turned obliquely across the keel, bya central stem z' passingA up through a tube, to the deck. Fig. 3 isanother form of the folding frame C, with a center board B therein,formed of sections, joined by hinges, and with their frame,1 capable ofbeing folded up into a recess Ii formed in the keel. Fig. i is anotherform` of the folding frame C and sectional board B which are alsoarranged so as to be shut up into a -cavity I in the keel. Fig. 5 is aiview of a hinged center board B capable of `being folded up against thebottom of thel vessel, and turned by a stem which passes;

through a vertical tube extending from the bottom to the deck of thevessel. Fig. 6 is a view of an adjustable board B, suspended and bracedby chains, cords, or jointed rods c, b, el, which pass through the hullfrom the bottom of the deck in a forked tube, formed and arranged as inFigs. 5 and 9, which board after being folded may be; hauled up at theside of the vessel or upon the deck. Fig. 8 is a view of a center boardB `that slides up and down in a verticalV sheath or oblong rectangulartube which eX- tends up through the hull, which board when protrudeddown below the bottom turns on a vertical. shaft or stem, so that itImay be inclined to the keel. Fig. 9 is a transverse sec-v tion, takenthrough the hull, in the line 3 3 of Fig'. 5 for the purpose of showingthe arrangement of a tri-forked tube through which the chains or cordspass which suspend and regulate the folding board. Fig. 10 is a fin,made of canvas or other flexible 1 substance, with jointed rods andcords for extending and folding it up.

Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 and 10 represent the center board, and thefragment of the bottom to which it is attached, in an inverted position.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8 the board is arranged so that it is capableof being turned at an angle of about twenty degrees with the sides ofthe keel, its forward end being always inclined to Windward for thepurpose of counteracting the tendency of the vessel to drift to theleeward of her course, when either beating against the wind or acurrent, or sailing with the wind a-beam.

The same letters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

The nature of my invention and improve ment consists in constructingcenter boards to be attached to fiat-bottomed vessels, which can readilybe folded up to allow the vessel to pass over a bar or shallow place,and may without inconvenience be unshipped at any time, and taken onboard, either to repair damages or for other purposes, which boards,thus arranged, diminish greatly the leeway of this class of vessels,when sailing on a side, or beating against a head wind or current, andrender them much more seaworthy.

In the accompanying drawings A Fig. 1 represents the hull of a vesselhaving my improved center board Bv attached thereto, this center board Bis mounted upon ball and socket hinges a Figs. 1 and 13 in the jointedfolding frame C, and may be folded up against, and parallel to thebottom as in Fig. 1', or hang down as in Fig. 1. It is folded by pullingup the cord or chain a Fig. 1, and is suspended in the grooved segmentguide blocks e b v the chains or cords 7) (Figs. 1 and 1), andl isplaced obliquely to,

sented. It is obvious that if the cord d wire drawn up, and the cord clet out, the board would cross the keel in the opposite direction. Theguide segment e which suspend the board and frame are themselvessuspended to the bottom by the cord 7L. The frame C is formed of rods orbars of. iron jointed to each ot-her and to the sliding blocks e, theends are braced by the rods f which abut on the blocks e, being hingedthereto, this frame is so connected to, and arranged with the'board,that when force is properly applied to either both will be folded, asfor instance whenthe cord a is pulled the board is folded and carrieswith it the frame, but if the vessel runs unex-` pectedly into shoalwater and the front of the frame strikes the bottom, it will fold up ofitself together with the board and thus save both from injury. Theturning of the board in the frame, and thus allowing both to be foldedup by force applied as above, results from the form of the ball andsocket joint (s) by which the board and frame are connected, being madewith a twist like a screw as seen in Fig.Y 13 where thev joint isrepresented upon an enlarged scale. The motion obtained by thisconstruction of the joint and arrangement of the board and frame, I deemimportant, because it admits of the board being left down until itstrikes the bottom, thus enabling the vessel to carry more sail amongshoals than under other circumstances would be prudent, together withthe oblique action of the board when inclined to the keel, whichconstantly presses the vessel up to the wind, thereby counteracting thetendency to drift to leeward of her course, and enabling her to work offfrom a lee shore, and avoid other dangerous places which vessels withoutsuch a contri- Vance as this are not ordinarily capable of doing.

In Fig. 2 the frame and board are made and arranged as in Fig. 1 exceptthat they are not removable from the bottom of the vessel, but they arecapable of being turned obliquely across the keel by a stem z' whichprojecting from the frame C passes through a tube D to the deck in amanner analogous to the arrangement for the same purpose shown in Fig.9. The board is kept expanded in this case by a weight attached to theend of the chain which passes over a pulley on the underside of thedeck, this weight or counterbalance is just sufficient to oppose theordinary resistance offered by the water.

In Fig. 3 the board is represented as formed of separate slats orsections, each mounted upon separate hinges in the end bars of theframe, which hinges are constructed with a twist in the socket part andanother corresponding thereto on the pivot, whereby the several sectionsare turned parallel to the bottom, and to each other when the frame isfolded or shut up, or the journals and boxes may be respectively madewithout any twist, the boards hinged together at the sides, and a bar earranged as represented, and having pins on it, which slide in holesmade through the front bar of the frame, the ends of these pins beingslanted off, so that whenever the bar z by force applied to its frontside, is pushed back these slanted pins may partially turn the boards,and thus when the front of the frame meets with any pbstruction to itsprogress it will invariably fold it up and thereby avoid injury. As theslats are narrow I make a cavity g in the under side of the keel, intowhich they are received when folded up, which cavity protects them fromexternal violence or injury in case the vessel should strike upon a baror rock. There are two cords or chains passing through the tube D one ofwhich a is for the purpose of folding up, and the other 71, forextending the boards, the manner in which they are respectively attachedto, and act upon the boards will be fully apparent from an inspection ofthe drawing. Through the tube D a stem z' descends, the upper end ofwhich extends above the deck, and has a lever attached to it in someconvenient manner whereby it is turned together with the boards, and theframe, for the purpose of inclining them to the keel at any angle mostsuitable for counteracting the leeway of the vessel.

Fig. 4L represents a cavity g formed in the keel, in which two bars C Care hinged by one end, to which bars two or more narrow boards B arepivoted in such a manner that the whole may be pulled up into the cavityby a cord attached to one of the bars C and passing up through a tube tot-he desk, or otherwise, the boards B when shut up being placed side byside, to admit of this arrangement the bars C are stepped so that no twoboards will be attached to them in the same vertical plane, but inadjacent planes.

Fig. 6 is a plain board suspended from the bottom, and braced by cordsor chains L k and adjusted in the plane of the keel or obliquely theretoby the guide ropes or chains c and d, or rather by the combined actionof all these ropes-for instance if the ropes L and c be pulled up, andthe ropes 7L and d be slackened at the front end, and the opposite cordsat the hindmost end of the board be respectively pulled up, andslackened in the same manner, the board will be placed obliquely acrossthe heel. If the ropes 71, on one side are slackened and on the otherdrawn up tight, and at t-he same time the ropes c and Z on the oppositeside be respectively tightened and slackened, the board will be hauledup close, and lay fiat against thebottom. These ropes pass up to thedeck through forked tubes which come through it on opposite sides, andas this board is not attached to the keel, the vessel is in no wayweakened by the perforation of that important timber. hen it becomesnecessary to haul up this or any of the other removable boards, it maybe done by means of a rope passing over the side of the vessel, one endof which is attached to the board and the other secured to a belayingpin or otherwise fastened upon the deck.

Fig. l0 is a perspective View of what I call a fin; it is composed of astock (P) in shape resembling an inverted trough with jointed ribs (ya)hanging on pins passing through its sides, these ribs being covered withcanvass or other flexible material, with ropes attached to the iin ateither end, to close or fold it up either forward or backward as may bemost convenient. The stock may turn on a shaft or stem, and the actionof the whole is obviously analogous to that of the center brands, andacts upon the vessel in the same manner.

The figures not particularly described eX- hibit different modificationsof the form and arrangement of the board, its frame, and the manner ofadjusting and managing it, but as these changes will be sufficientlyapparent from an inspection of the drawings I shall not here describethem.

The construction of the frame, and of the hinges or joints connecting itto the board may be varied to almost any extent as a great variety ofcommon and well known de vices can be applied to that purpose, withoutin the least changing the characters of the invention.` The boards maybe held in place on the vessels bottom by ropes or chains passing overthe sides and arranged in any way that seamen may find best suited tothe circumstances of each particular case. If the boards were held downby rigid fastenings they could not be folded by the sudden striking ofthe vessel without being either broken or loosened themselves, or havingtheir fastenings broken. Such a state of things as this would beproductive of the greatest inconvenience, and to avoid it I attach acounterbalancing weight sufiicient to oppose the ordinary resistanceoffered by the water and keep the board in an expanded position, butwhich will yield to a force less than would be required to break orseriously injure the frame or board.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my improvedcenter board, and the manner in which the same may be applied to flatbottomed vessels, what I claim therein as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent isl. Suspending in a jointed frame, a centerboard,composed of one or more pieces, capable of being turned with eithertheir edges or sides to the bottom of the vessel, and with the framefolded up against, or projected down therefrom, as herein set forth,whether the several parts be arranged as described, or in any othersubstantially similar manner.

2. Hanging the above claimed apparatus so that it is capable of beingturned obliquely across the keel for the purpose of counteract-ing theleeway of the vessel, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 19th Oct. 1848.

J. M. HOFFMAN.

litnesses:

WM. D. WASHINGTON, P. H. W'ATsoN.

